spring in the new garden...2012

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Technically this is my second spring, but last year I count as a “get acquainted” year.
Last summer was wonderful. Finding out about the bugs, the wildlife, the effects of aging on a human female body…etc. etc. Yes, I am kidding. Last summer I accomplished three things: building a greenhouse, a deck and a pond for the goldfish.
The greenhouse is functioning, (at last) and the deck is great for sitting and relaxing (when there are no bugs to pester us) but the pond for the goldfish had to be drained and re-situated. (Will post some pics when I have something to show for my labours)
The raccoons feasted on the grubs that infested the two acre lawn and turned over the dried-out, dead sod. I decided that I don’t like lawns anyway and since the weeds were poised to take over, it was only logical that it should become a meadow. Happy to report that there is progress and I have pics! Left a clay pot for a raccoon fingerbowl and we were all happy. All except the neighbour up the hill who doesn’t want raccoons in his yard. They seem to have disappeared. (The raccoons…not the neighbours, worse luck.) I miss them.
In February we adopted a kitten. Our family now numbers two adult humans, a rabbit, two budgies, 17 goldfish, a gecko and a little gray kitten named Rufus.
Still miss our Mandy.
Last autumn the working was easier and I cut down the messy field and raked and cleaned along the stream. I still have piles of tree prunings that I must have mulched as it’s been dry enough that there has been a burning ban in the township. This spring the weather has been very confusing…we are still having frosty nights and bright (cold) windy days and probably will have until close to the end of the month.

raccoon fingerbowl!

Rufus on his fav perch

A Wild Clematis which I found dangling half in the water, on a very eroded stream bank…it’s been moved and staked. Some new growth…hopeful sign.

The other three clems that I have are showing signs of growth…errr…except the tangutica…it looks dead. That strikes me as odd because I thought that the C.tangutica was more favourably disposed to our Canadian winters because it’s from Siberia! maybe it’s just taking it’s time. I hope.

The yard looks very bleak in this picture…in March we lost all our snow very quickly due to a two week stretch of very warm weather…which turned to extremely cold April…and we had frost warnings last night in the first week of May. It’s hard to accept that even this cold weather is close to seasonal. March fooled everyone. This is the bed which I dug last fall for the beginning of the herb garden. The plastic cover was to warm the soil before I added all the peat and topsoil this past week, and I actually planted out some tomato (Sweet 100) seedlings. (I’ve lost most of them) The digging is hard work but it pays off.

The beginning of one of two new bridges for crossing the stream…

staked up some old shipping pallets to help contain the compost heap.

Making a waterfall on the stream…grading the banks back to a more gradual (and natural) slope was heavy work with only a spade and rake.

The topsoil which would eventually have washed down stream has been collected on the uphill slope for use as a new planting area. Any rocks that were moveable have been dug up and added to the stream bank.
So much of all of this is work in progress…and it looks so bleak. Not much colour yet…but the bulbs I planted last fall have emerged and braved the constant freeze thaw of the last two months to produce some buds. I think the narcissus will be in flower by tomorrow…and at least one of the parrot tulips has started to open.
They will be the subject of the next blog I suppose…as well as the meadow.

• 13 May, 2012
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